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    Berkshire Museum

    4.2 (33 reviews)
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    Giovanni Benzoni's Veiled Rebecca
    Ken C.

    A charming and eclectic museum in the heart of Pittsfield, it's got a little bit of everything - natural history, anthropology and ancient cultures, arts and crafts, and historical innovation (focusing on local area innovators). While you would think this would be a shallow overview of these areas, it's actually well-curated and informative for what they focus on and display. There's a live aquarium and reptile terrariums in the basement floor (and a neat little coral nursery); local fauna displays and dioramas of other habitats as well as minerals on the first floor, along with the innovation hall; and artworks, sculptures, and ancient cultures on the top floor. Quite a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours, especially on a rainy day.

    Deep Water
    Mercedes C.

    We intentionally came to the Berkshires to relax, be with Nature and avoid people. But we ventured out a bit and see what Pittsfield was like. Let's just say it wasn't for me. But from where we were at in Lee, coming to Berkshire Museum was only 20 minutes to enjoy this small treasure. Think of Berkshire Museum as a condensed (extremely condensed) version of NYC's Museum of Natural History+The Met put together. Masks, Vax proof and IDs are required. You can access 1st, 2nd floors and the Aquarium all for $15 each adult (3rd fl. was closed on a Sunday we visited). For its size, Berkshire Museum has items on display, from the stone sculptures, gemstones, a nice collection of Egyptian art, Music instruments and other exhibits. Berkshire Museum's underwater world houses a few tanks with coral reefs, sea horses, crabs, snakes, turtles and colorful fish in the Aquarium located on the ground floor. For what it's worth, it's a nice family-friendly visit. Don't completely overlook this small museum.

    Jaime C.

    We had such a great time at the Berkshire Museum! It was nice to walk around and learn some new things while avoiding the rain. I appreciate their transparency with their efforts to appropriately display certain items tied to roots not of the United States. We loved it here! Would definitely recommend!

    Description of the sculptor and the Irish king whose sculpture it was
    Sutirtha B.

    During our trip to the Berkshires, we were looking for places to visit and it was a close call between going to the Norman Rockwell museum or the Berkshire Museum. Given that we had a toddler with us, we decided that the Berkshire Museum would be a better bet and I am very glad we chose it. We visited the place on a Thursday afternoon (Oct. 2021) and the place was very empty, so much so that I joked with my wife that we had the whole museum reserved to ourselves. :) The place has a little bit of everything. The very first room that we passed through - the science room (I believe) - was out of commission but from the second room onwards, everything seemed open for viewing by visitors. That second room had a very impressive collection of stuffed birds - larger than any either my wife or I could recall having seen, at least in recent times. Additionally, that second room also included displays of some mammals like cougars, insects (or bugs as my daughter calls them), and fish. The next room included displays of a variety of rocks including the three major types - igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic - along with some rocks that are considered precious such as lapis lazuli. The third room on that entry level included fourteen miniature scenes depicting animals and plants in their native habitats such as bisons inhabiting the Great Plains of the U.S. The fourth and final room on this level was the newly opened Feigenbaum Hall of Innovation. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the term Total Quality Management (TQM) owed its origins to inventors with connections to the Berkshire region - Armand Feigenbaum who wrote a multi-edition book titled "Total Quality Control". I was also pleasantly surprised to learn that a company based in Dalton, a small town in the Berkshires, has been the sole manufacturer of all paper used for U.S. currency since 1879. (https://www.uscurrency.gov/about-us/currency-facts) It was interesting to hear about the origins of the company and how it has gone about doing its business from the perspective of the current owners of the company which is now in the hands of the 6th and 7th generations of the founding family. The second floor was arguably a bit more high-brow and had art of various kinds. We did not have as much time to look at the exhibits in this floor as we had in the floor downstairs. Nonetheless, we enjoyed looking at various exhibits such as a mummy (or was it two?), footwear of various sorts, as well as pictures from Bhutan - a country close to my own country of India. The pictures of Bhutan displayed here at the museum were taken by a photographer couple and can be viewed at: https://meadeaglephotos.com/bhutan. Lastly, the basement had a small reptile section and an aquarium. Having recently traveled to the world-famous National Aquarium in Baltimore, we were not looking to be very impressed by this aquarium. Nonetheless, the collection of fish and reptiles wasn't too shabby and it provided considerable joy to our 2-year old toddler. Yes, there were pythons (2 I recall), frogs of various kinds, a scorpion, a tarantula, and other creatures creepy enough to give one the shivers. All in all, we enjoyed the museum considerably. While I do think that there is little rhyme or reason in what's included in the museum and what's not - there's a little bit of everything - that should not distract from my positive review of the museum. In as much as the goal of a museum is to expand one's horizons, while also providing some entertainment/ joy to little ones if any, this museum more than met its expectations for our family. All in all, a half-day well-spent.

    worlds in miniature [Berkshire Museum]
    Maria O.

    Though small in size, this museum had a lot to offer for little ones. My boys, 7 and 3, enjoyed the many exhibits. My older one gravitated towards the Dinosaur Room as he is obsessed with dinosaurs. We also spent a lot of time in the small aquarium. My younger one even dragged the stool to explore each of the display windows in the Worlds in Miniature.* The descriptions are short and clear and many areas are tailored to a child's eye level which is key [though not quite my little 3 year old's eye level]. The Hall of Innovation* was my favorite, there were interesting topics that held my attention and the exhibit was aesthetically pleasing while being well organized. I found the sculptures in the Fine Arts section a bit confusing and out of place and the room with what I think was a giant display of wings was beautiful but felt bare and could have been a better utilized space. The gift shop was also pretty sparse, they didn't even have magnets; however, their limited selection can be a good thing as it cuts down on the "can-we-buy-this-please?" requests from your young'uns. Overall, this is a great introduction to young children; great exposure without being too overwhelming. photo*

    Mark C.

    A little museum nestled into downtown Pittsfield, the Bershire Museum is a decent local museum but lacking in depth. The place is divided into a number of small exhibits - paleontology, local wildlife, geology, a small aquarium, and then a moderately sized archeology/anthropology area upstairs with a smattering of local history and modern art. The whole thing can be seen in a hour's time without rushing. The best parts were the local wildlife section - including a functional honeycomb with bees, and the aquarium which had a nice selection of exotic fish and reptiles. The downside is the size. The website makes it look larger than it is, and the dinosaur section - a big draw for me - was about the size of a large living room with only 3 actual bones and no complete skeletons. Although, there is a "sandbox" section where kids can dig for bones, which would have been the highlight of my year when I was 10. Overall, worth a visit, but set your expectations accordingly. -- Added: Parking is an issue at the museum. The website recommends using a parking lot on South Street down by the Colonial Theater. Unfortunately, it is (1) impossible to take a left into that lot so U-turns are needed, and (2) the lot only allows 30 minutes of parking Monday thru Friday. So, be sure to plan an alternate parking spot unless you're visiting over the weekend.

    Exhibit at the museum
    Danielle B.

    The Berkshire Museum has been a staple for my family on our trips to the Berkshires. The museum features a few classic exhibits, like the dinosaur room and mini-aquarium, then hosts a rotating special exhibit. When I visited February 2012, the featured exhibit was Audubon birds: stuffed owls, ducks, hawks, falcons, and the like. The kicker was a tall stuffed ostrich that looked real enough to tackle me and poke my eye balls out. Stuffed animals give me the creeps, but there was definitely a lot to learn. The coolest dinosaur, the Stegosaurus, the museum staple, stands tall in the front of the museum. The dinosaur and prehistoric age exhibit were lacking - time to upgrade. I was disappointed to see that some of the tanks in the aquarium were empty. Beautiful sculptures and an authentic old Egyptian mummy on the top floor, but not enough information provided about the pieces. I really enjoyed the exhibits that were exclusive to the Berkshires, like the Innovation room. The museum showcased the history behind the area, famous people who lived there, and great inventions that spawned from the Berkshires. Overall, this is a great museum to check out for a couple hours if you're in the area. Entertainment for the whole family.

    Elda P.

    My family and I literally stumbled on the museum and were torn about going in or not. Some reviews referred to it as small and limited. I feel those people did not go to many of the displays. There was so much to see. My kids favorite was the galactic room with glass renderings from local artist Josh William's. My kids loves all the hands on stuff like the virtual reality space walk. My husband is a Civil War/ American history fan and there was plenty for him to see as well. Loved how interactive it all was. So happy we came and will definitely return!

    Phantasmagoric poison dart frogs
    Maria F.

    We were staying at Berkshire Mountain lodge and have a couple of days left before we leave so we decided to visit Berkshire Museum. $13 dollars is their museum fee. We were really surprise on how many interesting things we saw. From different Greek statutes, paintings, and historical artifacts and oil paintings of founders, Kings, nobleman, there was a lot to see. There was Pharaoh Phahat and an interactive screen about him and Egyptian burial ceremonies. William Pitts, where Pittfields is named after. Ancient coins, butter churning, civil war weapons. There was an area on what animals, insects, mammals roam in the area and lots of stuffed, mounted animals. Different beautiful dioramas of places like the Serengeti, Rainforest, etc. A small aquarium with different snakes, lizards, fishes like clown fishes in anemone what attracts kid calling them "there's Nemo"! It was fun to see kids getting excited. Overall, we stayed there almost two hours!

    Detail from The Last Arrow, by Thomas Moran.

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    9 years ago

    My son like it ,they Always have promotion We Benn there for free twice with bank of America card

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    15 years ago

    Great MC Escher exhibit! Friendly staff and lots of extra's for children.

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    14 years ago

    Good variety, loved the Hudson River School works! Could have done without the "Innovation" exhibit.

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    There was an area on what animals, insects, mammals roam in the area and lots of stuffed, mounted animals.

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